Pilot burner generator



Sept. 1, 1964 R. s. LOVELAND 3,146,823

PILOT BURNER GENERATOR Filed March 27, 1961 28 Him 35 36a 36b 3; 2 24 23 I f 25 26 H 1 l5 I22 I I90 il l 3 [4 I I I 1! ll IN VEN R- ROGER s. LOVELAND BY ATTO EY United States Patent 3,146,823 PlLOT BURNER GENERATOR Roger S. Loveland, Torrance, Califl, assignor to Minne This invention relates to gas burners and, more particularly, to pilot burners used to ignite main burners and to heat a flame sensing unit to provide safety control of the gas flowing to the main burner in the event the pilot flame should become extinguished.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a pilot burner for the above mentioned use which provides quick reduction or extinguishment of the flame heating a temperature sensing unit in the event the gas pressure approaches the point where the flame for igniting the main burner may be insufficient to perform that function.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burner having a target member with flame directing Wings thereon to direct a flame toward main burners and means associated with said wings to deflect a portion of the flame onto a flame sensing member only if the gas pressure is sufficient to provide main burner ignition.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the invention with the burner shown in cross-section;-

FIGURE 2 is a back perspective, cross-sectional view of the target member per se; and

FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view of the target member per se.

The invention comprises a mounting bracket 11 having bolt receiving holes 12 through a vertical arm thereof. The bracket also has two spaced larger holes 13 and 14 in a horizontal arm thereof in which are welded a burner tube 15 and a thermopile supporting tube 16, respectively. A thermopile 17 is releasably held in the tube 16 by means of a ring nut 18 screw threaded into the lower end of the tube.

The burner tube has an enlarged and threaded diameter portion 15a at its lower end into which is threaded a burner spud 19.

The spud has an inverted, cup-shaped orifice member 20 located in a reduced diameter portion thereof 19a near its upper end. The spud also has an enlarged and threaded diameter portion 19b which is adapted to receive a tube coupling 21 for securing a gas tube 21a to the spud.

The upper portion of the tube 15 has a slot 22 that extends from the upper end thereof to below the upper end of the spud 19, on the thermopile side of the tube, to permit air to enter the tube around the spud. Another slot 23 extends downwardly a short distance from the upper end of the tube, on the other side thereof, for a purpose to be presently described.

A target member for the burner consists of a tubular portion 24 having a longitudinal slot 25 therein whose edges align with the edges of the slot 22 in the tube 15. The portion also has an outwardly struck arm 26 that fits in the slot 23 to keep the slot 25 aligned with the slot 22 and to hold the lower end of the tubular portion in spaced relationship with respect to the spud. The slot formed by striking out the arm 26 serves no function other than to provide material for arm 26.

Extending upwardly from the tubular portion of the target member, is a target portion generally designated by the reference numeral 27. This portion consists of a generally flat portion 28 inclined inwardly and upwardly to the axis of the tube and having extensions 28a and 3,146,823 Patented Sept. 1, 1964 28b at a slight forwardly extending angle transversely thereof on opposite sides thereof. An arcuate portion 29 connects the portion 28 to the portion 24. A flat portion 30 extends forward and slightly upwardly from the portion 28 and over the tube 24. This portion 30 has extensions 30a and 3017, which also form extensions of the portions 28a and 28b. These extensions increase in width from the portion 31) to the outer ends thereof and carry at their forward edges, downwardly extending skirt portions 31 and 32, respectively. A short skirt portion 33 extends downwardly and forwardly from the portion 30 and between the upper adjoining portions of the skirt portions 31 and 32. Obviously, the angular relationship of the channel-shaped members may be changed to suit a particular need.

A flame deflector member 34 is of inverted U-shape, having a cross or base portion 35 extending between two side walls or legs 36 and 37. The legs extend beyond the rear edge of the base portion and terminate in two lugs 36a (only one of which is shown) that fit into holes 280 (only one of which is shown). The rear or inner edge of the base portion 35 is spaced about the same distance from the axes of the tubes and orifice member as is the surface of portion 28, at the same elevation. The front edges of the base portion and the legs extend a relatively short distance beyond the skirts 31, 32 and 33. The lower edges of the legs 36 and 37 are upwardly arched to give the right legs depth to provide carry-over characteristic to the flames and proper flame deflection to the flame sensing member.

Operation When the invention is installed in a heating plant having two main burners, the bracket is mounted so that one each of the channels formed by the target extensions and skirts are directed toward one each of the main burners so as to ignite them when flames are present at the target burner outlets.

At normal and above normal gas pressures the deflector 34 is able to deflect a flame onto the flame sensing unit, which may be the illustrated thermopile or a rod and tube unit or some other well known unit.

If there should be a drop in gas pressure, the flame to the flame sensor will snuff out or reduce generator output below minimum operating point before the main burner igniting flames reduce to the point they would fail to ignite the main burners.

It is believed that the snufling out or more rapid decline of the flame sensor flame is due to the fact that the central flame tends to cling to the larger surfaces on which it first impinges, when there is no excess flame to be divided, or to the flooding of the aperture when there is an excess of the flame. Regardless of the theory, it is a fact that in the burner described above, the flame for heating the sensor reduces much more rapidly and becomes extinguished before the igniting flames become incapable of serving their purposes, better than do prior art burners for accomplishing the same general purposes.

As it is possible that modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, the scope of the invention should be determined from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gas burner comprising a tube, an orifice member in said tube, a target member mounted on said tube in spaced relationship to said orifice member, said target member having a surface inclined inwardly toward the axis of said orifice member and outwardly from said orifice member, said tube having an opening therein to provide for flow of air into said tube above said orifice member, an inverted channel-shaped member extending from said surface for directing a flame generally transverse with respect to the axis of said orifice member, said channel-shaped member having an opening in a side wall thereof substantially opposite said axis, and an inverted U-shaped deflector extending through said opening with an inner edge of the base of of said deflector spaced from and generally parallel to said surface and spaced from the base of said channel-shaped member.

2. In a gas burner, the combination comprising a tube, an orifice member in said tube, a target member mounted on said tube in spaced relationship to said orifice member, said target member having a surface inclined inwardly toward the axis of said orfice member and outwardly from said orifice member, said tube having an opening therein to provide for flow of air into said tube above said orifice member, a channel-shaped member extending from said surface for directing a flame generally transverse with respect to the axis of said orifice member, said channel-shaped member having an opening in a side wall thereof forward of said axis, and an inverted generally U-shaped deflector extending through said opening with an inner edge of the base of said deflector spaced from and substantially parallel to said surface and spaced from the base of said channel-shaped member and the legs of the deflector extending inwardly beyond said base to said surface.

3. A gas burner comprising a tube, an orifice member in said tube, a target member mounted on said tube in spaced relationship to said orifice member, said target member having a surface inclined inwardly toward the axis of said orifice member and outwardly from said orifice member, said tube having an opening therein to provide for flow of air into said tube above said orifice member, an inverted channel-shaped member extending from said surface forming a passage for directing a flame generally transverse with respect to the axis of said orifice member, said channel-shaped member having an opening in a side wall thereof substantially opposite said axis, and an inverted U-shaped deflector forming a passage whose cross-sectional area substantially conforms to said opening, said deflector being secured within said channel-shaped member adjacent said opening with the passage formed by said deflector extending at a substantial angle to the passage formed by said channel-shaped member and with the passage formed by said inverted U-shaped member lining up with said opening, said deflector further being mounted with the inner edge of the base thereof spaced from and generally parallel to the surface and spaced from the base of said channel-shaped member so that a portion of the gas passing through said tube and said channel-shaped member is deflected by said inverted U-shaped deflector out through said opening.

4. A gas burner comprising a tube, an orifice member in said tube, a target member mounted on said tube in spaced relationship to said orifice member, said target member having a surface inclined inwardly toward the axis of said orifice member and outwardly from said orifice member, an inverted channel-shaped member extending from said surface forming a passage for directing a flame generally transverse with respect to the axis of said orifice member, said channel-shaped member having an opening in a side wall thereof substantially opposite said axis, and an inverted U-shaped deflector forming a passage whose cross-sectional area substantially conforms to said opening, said deflector being secured within said channel-shaped member adjacent said opening with the passage formed by said deflector extending at a substantial angle to the passage formed by said channel-shaped member and with the passage formed by said inverted U-shaped member lining up with said opening, said deflector further being mounted with the inner edge of the base thereof spaced from and generally parallel to the surface and spaced from the base of said channel-shaped member so that a portion of the gas passing through said tube and said channel-shaped member is deflected by said inverted U-shaped deflector out through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,004 Biggle Apr. 27, 1954 2,859,263 Glickman Nov. 4, 1958 2,959,216 Alger Nov. 8, 1960 2,999,535 Alger Sept. 12, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 606,024 Canada Sept. 27,1960 

1. A GAS BURNER COMPRISING A TUBE, AN ORIFICE MEMBER IN SAID TUBE, A TARGET MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ORIFICE MEMBER, SAID TARGET MEMBER HAVING A SURFACE INCLINED INWARDLY TOWARD THE AXIS OF SAID ORIFICE, MEMBER AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID ORIFICE MEMBER, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO PROVIDE FOR FLOW OF AIR INTO SAID TUBE ABOVE SAID ORIFICE MEMBER, AN INVERTED CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID SURFACE FOR DIRECTING A FLAME GENERALLY TRANSVERSE WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID ORIFICE MEMBER, SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING IN A SIDE WALL THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID AXIS, AND AN INVERTED U-SHAPED DEFLECTOR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING WITH AN INNER EDGE OF THE BASE OF OF SAID DEFLECTOR SPACED FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SURFACE AND SPACED FROM THE BASE OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER. 